Flow meter system



Jan. 21, 1941.

S. B. SMITH FLOW METER SYSTEM Filed Jan. 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l W n M lnvenior Sidngy 572222 5,

Attorneys 5 Jan. 21, 1941. s su -m 2,229,195

FLOW METER SYSTEM Filed Jan. 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4/ Inventor .5 me .5mm, I

A iiorneys Patented Jan. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-I 2,229,195 rLow METER srs'rsivr SidneyB. Smith, Long Island, N. Y. Application January 29, 1940, Serial No. 316,252

2 clams.

This invention relates to a flow meter system, and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which will be especially useful in a device for determining the consumption of fluid by a fluid consuming device wherein a system is employed that includes a constant supply of fluid from the source to the fluid consuming device and a return from the latter to the supply for fluid not consumed and feed and return meters and a single counting mechanism for both meters whereby through the use of this invention the result indicated by said counting mechanism will be the actual consumption of fluid by the fluid consuming device and to provide a device which may be easily installed with a minimum number of fittings and couplings and may have the major portion thereof removed without interrupting the operation of the system, that is the supply and return of the fluid between said fluid consuming device and the fluid supply.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction', combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the exterior construction of the present invention.

' Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section,

showing the meters, single counter and the compounding gear mechanism between said meters and the counting mechanism, all moimtable in an assembly unit for easy installation in a fluid supply system. a

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating planetary gearing forming a part of the present invention, and taken on line 3-3 of Figure 4.

Figure is a diagrammatical view illustrating the planetary gearing.

Figure 5 is an end view of the device. Figure 6 is a diagrammatical view showing the present invention installed in a fluid system of the kind specified.

While this invention may be employed in various types of fluid systems, I have elected to show the installation thereof in connection with an oil burner system indicated generally by the character A in Figure 6 wherein the present invention is designated generally by the character B and composed of a unit readily installed in the system A through the use of a minimum number or couplings or fittings. This system A includes a fluid supply reservoir 5, an outlet pipe -6 connected thereto and to a pump I. The burner is inlet and return meters l4 and I5 removably mounted therein and a counter mechanism 16 viewable through a window I! and connected to 15 said meters by a planetary compounding gear mechanism l8 and heads l9 and 20 for connecting the meters into the fluid system of the character described or some other-fluid system wherein it is desired to accurately ascertain the amount 20 of fluid utilized or consumed.

The housing I3 is of elongated formation and has in its ends flanged openings forming meter seats IS in which are removably mounted the meters l4 and I5 in opposed relation. The 8 meters are held in their seats by the heads I 9 which are detachably secured to the ends of the housing I 3 by stud bolts 2|. Any type of fluid operated meters may be employed, preferably of 30 the nutating disc type, as shown in the drawings and which form no part of the present invention.

The fluid inlet and outlet ports of the meters are indicated by the characters Hand 23 and the heads have therein and communicatin with 35 said ports fluid inlet and outlet passages 24 and 25 and said passages are controlled by key operated valves 26. The passages 24 and 25 are connected by a bypass passage 21 also provided with a key operated control valve 28.

The inlet passage 24 of the head I8 is connected to the pipe III of the system and the outlet passage 25 is connected to the pipe 9. The inlet passage 24 of the head 20 is connected to the pipe I I and the outlet passage 25 of said head 20 is 45 connected to the pipe I2. Thus it will be seen that with the valves 26 in closed position and the valves 28 in open position, the system A can continue to operate while the meters and counting mechanism are rendered inoperative and fur- 50 thermore it will be seen that during this period the housing l3 may be detached from the heads so that the meters, counting mechanism and compounding gear mechanism can all be removed from the system while the latter remains in op- 5 eration for repair, adjustments or any other changes thereto.

The counting mechanism It may be of any ordinary type frequently employed for industrial counters, mileage indicators, etc.

The meters include the usual reduction gear trains 30 with power takeoif shafts 3|.

The planetary compounding gear mechanism l8 includes a gear element 32 provided with an internal ring gear 33 and an external ring gear 34 and an axial bore 35, to rotatably receive a shaft 38. A spider gear bracket 31 is secured to the shaft 36 and operates within the gear element 32 and has journaled thereon spider gears ll which mesh continuously with the internal ring gear 33 and also with a gear is secured on the takeoff shaft SI of the meter II. The shaft 38 is geared to a shaft 40 forming a part of the counting mechanism. A gear II is in continuous mesh with the ring gear 34 and is secured on the power takeoff shaft of the meter 15.

From the detailed description of the planetary compounding gear mechanism It it will be seen that the latter couples the meters I4 and II to the counting mechanism It. Suitable brackets 42 may be employed for the support of the shafts referred to in connection with the meters, planetary compounding gear mechanism and the counter, the brackets being mountable on the housing ll of the unit B.

From the foregoing description and the disclosure made by the drawings it will be seen that the feed and return meters connectedto the counting mechanism by the planetary compounding gear mechanism will actuate the counter mechanism so that the reading thereof will indicate the correct amount of fluid consumed by the burner, the planetary compounding gear mechanism acting to subtract the motion of the return meter from the motion of the feed meter so that the result given by the counting mechanism will be the actual consumption of fluid by the fluid consuming device. If desired, the device may be easily arranged to give a result on the counting mechanism in addition instead of in subtraction, as stated, by reversing the motion given off by one meter to the motion given 01! by the other meter. This is easily accomplished through a simple rearrangement of the gearing of the planetary compounding gear mechanism to the meters or the power takeoff shafts thereof.

Further, it will be seen that this unit is extremely compact and its compactness is valuable in that it saves space and piping and expensive fittings and also permits less fittings to be employed and consequently less leaks are liable and through the use of the key operated valves tampering of the device by unauthorized persons will be to a great extent eliminated.

It is believed that the foregoing-description, when taken in connection with the drawings will fully set forth the construction and advantages of this invention to those skilled in the art to which such a device relates, so that further detailed description will not be required.

Having described the invention, what I claim is.

1. In a device of the class described, a housing having a sight opening and flanged openings forming meter seats, meters carried by said seats, a counter mountedin said housing in rear of the sight opening, heads detachably connected to said housing and retaining the meters in the seats and provided with passages for connecting said meters into a fluid pressure system including a fluid pressure supply and a fluid consuming device and a fluid return from said consuming device to the fluid supply, control valvesin said passages, and planetary gearing connecting the meters to the counting mechanism.

2. In a device of the class described, a housing having a sight opening and flanged openings forming meter seats, meters carried by said seats, a counter mounted in said housing in rear of the sight opening, heads detachably connected to said housing and retaining the meters in the seats and provided with passages for connecting said meters into a fluid pressure system including a fluid pressure supply and a fluid consuming device and a fluid return from said consuming de- Nice to the fluid supply, control valves in said passages, and planetary gearing connecting the meters to the counter, said heads having by-pass passages connecting the first-named passages thereof, and control valves in said by-pass passages.

SIDNEY B. SMITH. 

